Chapter 47: Does it have to take that long?

After Li Yonglin left.

Li Jiaci also turned his gaze to the faces of the few people present.

"From now on, no one is allowed to mention that person."

"If she comes to you for help, you must not pay her any attention."

Li Qinglan had been with him for a long time and also understood them.

Li Jiaci was genuinely afraid that this woman would later turn her attention to them again.

If another brother fell for her, he would surely go crazy with self-blame.

After all, this woman had once been his girlfriend, and he was the one who brought her into their circle.

And upon seeing everything that was happening now,

A intriguing glint flashed in Wang Yingna's eyes.

……

He returned to the room.

Li Jiaci closed the door.

As he turned, he almost bumped into Wang Yingna.

Li Jiaci frowned and said, "What are you doing standing here?"

"I'm waiting for you to explain."

Wang Yingna crossed her arms and looked at Li Jiaci with a playful gaze.

"What do I have to explain to you?"

Li Jiaci, feeling bewildered, reached out and pushed Wang Yingna away.

But Wang Yingna persisted, clinging to him again: "You already have a girlfriend, yet you still kissed me?"

"Didn't you say we already broke up?"

"Even having an ex-girlfriend is not allowed."

Wang Yingna said, "I've never even been in a relationship, yet you, who have who-knows-how-many ex-girlfriends, stole my first kiss—this isn't fair to me."

"So we need to renegotiate compensation!"

Seeing her tsundere attitude, Li Jiaci was genuinely at a loss for words.

"Is the first kiss really that important?"

"Of course it is!"

Wang Yingna widened her eyes and said, "I intend to save my first kiss for my future husband!"

"..."

Li Jiaci truly had nothing to rebut her with, only saying, "Isn't helping you kick your drug habit enough?"

"You're a man who's had ex-girlfriends."

"You're not clean, and yet you still kissed me—how could that be acceptable?"

Wang Yingna said, "So you must promise me one more thing!"

"Impossible, don't even think about it."

This woman is pushing her luck even further.

Li Jiaci, not intending to indulge her, went straight to the bed and began measuring its width on his own.

"I haven't even said what it is yet!"

Seeing his attitude, Wang Yingna's cheeks puffed out in anger.

Li Jiaci leaned over, pushed the bed into the corner, and casually said, "Even if you say it, I won't do it—why waste words?"

"Hey you..."

Wang Yingna was truly left speechless by Li Jiaci's anger.

She didn't speak any further, instead sitting angrily in a chair nearby.

Li Jiaci ignored her even more; after moving the bed, he fetched a hammer, drove a nail into each end of the room's center, took out a rope, fastened its ends to the nails, draped a bedsheet over it, and directly divided the room into two halves.

"What are you doing this for?"

Wang Yingna asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Men and women should be separate."

Li Jiaci casually replied, "If I don't do this, how else could I get you to leave?"

"???"

Wang Yingna's mind was full of question marks.

Is this guy mistaken about something?

I don't even dislike him, yet he's started to dislike me?

Just who is the girl here, and who is the one most afraid of losing out?

However.

Li Jiaci didn't care what she thought; after finishing, he said, "From now on, you stay on your side, I stay on mine—we won't disturb or interfere with each other, and we'll treat the other as if they don't exist."

"Then, before you succeed in the first stage of quitting your drug habit, you'll sleep on the floor."

"You still have to sleep on the floor..."

"Why not go home? Your bed at home is comfortable!"

"You!"

Wang Yingna pouted dissatisfiedly and said, "Then what after the first stage succeeds?"

"I might consider adding a bed for you!"

Stingy...

Wang Yingna cursed angrily in her heart, but she asked aloud: "How long will it take?"

Li Jiaci thought for a moment and said: "Based on your current situation, about a month!"

Wang Yingna asked again: "How many stages in total?"

Three!

Li Jiaci said: "They are one month, three months, and five months respectively!"

Wang Yingna widened her eyes: "That long?"

"Big sister, you need to get the situation straight."

"You know how serious your addiction is."

"And wanting to quit this isn't just idle talk."

"If you mess up, relapsing is just a minor issue; losing your life is the big deal."

Li Jiaci said: "I don't want your brother to come looking for trouble because you relapse or die."

"And you should think carefully about whether you want my help."

Li Jiaci said: "If you want it, follow my arrangements; if not, you can leave anytime."

Wang Yingna lightly bit her lip.

"Yes!"

"Then I'll follow your arrangements."

Li Jiaci paused, then said: "Because you ate before coming, you can at least hold out until tonight; the start won't have too much effect on your body, just some emotional fluctuations. Withdrawal symptoms will only begin to appear from the day after tomorrow."

"So."

"I suggest you endure today and tomorrow, then take the medicine I give you on the third day."

"During the first stage, you can only take four boxes of this medicine; not even one extra pill is allowed."

"Okay."

"I understand."

Wang Yingna didn't say anything else.

…

A little later.

There was no movement from Wang Yingna's side.

But Li Jiaci couldn't fall asleep no matter what.

Finally, he simply gave up trying to force himself to sleep.

He got up from bed, walked to a smaller ventilation window, opened it, and lit a cigarette.

The city now is far less prosperous than it will be later.

Looking around, only a few dim yellow streetlights lingered lonely.

He recalled that at this time in his previous life,

he was already on the road fleeing to Dongnan ya.

In this life, he not only changed his own fate, but also changed the fate of his brothers.

But changing fate is only a beginning; he also wants his brothers to live better, so that each brother can live the dream life they long for.

For many people,

1998 is not considered a good year.

Not only was it disaster-prone, but the financial markets also encountered an economic bubble, and those who lost everything and jumped to their deaths were everywhere.

But for Li Jiaci, it was a time point full of opportunities.

Because after getting through this stage, the market economy will experience a sudden, explosive boom, especially after joining the WTO, which will bring forth a large batch of tycoons leading an era.

And what he needs to do now is, before all that arrives, to leverage small gains into big ones and earn enough capital to enter the game.

After finishing the cigarette,

Li Jiaci also returned to bed.

Just as he closed his eyes, he heard a low murmur from Wang Yingna's side: "Don't, don't hit my brother…"